CHAPTER IV. 



SOME CURIOUS ANIMAL WEAPONS. 



STRICTLY speaking, the only weapons of vertebrates 

 are teeth, claws, horns, and spurs. Horns belong 

 only to the ruminants, and the spur is a rare 

 weapon. There are also many animals in which 

 teeth and claws are not suited to inflict injury, or 

 in which the proper instincts and courage to use 

 and develop them are wanted ; and these would 

 seem to be in a very defenceless condition. De- 

 fenceless they are in one sense, but as a fact they 

 are no worse off than the well-armed species, having 

 either a protective colouring or a greater swiftness 

 or cunning to assist them in escaping from their 

 enemies. And there are also many of these prac- 

 tically toothless and clawless species which have 

 yet been provided with other organs and means 

 of offence and defence out of Nature's curious 

 armoury, and concerning a few of these species I 

 propose to speak in this place. 



Probably such distinctive weapons as horns, 

 spurs, tusks and spines would be much more com- 

 mon in nature if the conditions of life always re- 

 mained the same. But these things are long in 

 fashioning; meanwhile, conditions are changing; 

 climate, soil, vegetation vary; foes and rivals 



